Oarlock



May 6, 1930. J. E: MATHEWSON OARLOCK Filed May 15. 1929 me n g m EW e N w I A M E Patented May h, 193% PATET QFEFECE JOHN" E. MATHEW$ON, OF AVALON, CALIFORNIA OARLOCK Application filed May 15, 1929. Serial No. 363,213.

My invention relates to and has for its purposethe provision of an oarlock of simple, rugged and inexpensive construction, which in its association with a boat and an oar, permits the use of the oar with the utmost freedom in propelling the boat by rowing in'the normal manner as Well as with the oar disposed at a relatively steep angle in the oarlock as is required in the event that the oarsman desires to propel the boat while in a standing posture, all in such manner that displacement of the oar from the oarlock during the operations of rowing and sculling will be prevented and these operations performed with the utmost ease and convenience.

I will describe only one form of oarlock embodying my invention and will then point out the novel features thereof in claims.

In the accompanying drawing,

Fig. 1 is a view showing in front elevation, partly broken away, one form of oarloclr embodying my invention, applied to the gunwale of a boat, and

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1 and looking in the direction of the arrows.

Referring specifically to the drawings in which similar reference characters designate similar parts in each of the several views, my invention in its present embodiment is shown associated with a socket member S in the form of a rectangular metal plate 10 adapted to be permanently secured to the gunwale 11 of a boat by screws 12, and having depending therefrom medially between its ends. a tapered socket 13 which is received in a suitable bore 14 previously formed in the gunwale so that the socket is substantially vertically disposed. The oarlock designated generally at O and preferably constructed of metal comprises a pin 15 tapered correspondingly to the socket to rotatably fit therein, and is formed integral with an ear receiving eye E which rises from the pin and is supported thereby from the socket 13 in an upright position above the gunwale for swinging movement about the axis of the socket during the rowing operation.

The opening 16 of the eye E is ovate or elongated vertically as shown clearly in Figure 1, and its upper portion 17 is offset laterally from the plane of its lower portion 18 byforming the eye in a curved plane vertically as clearly shown in Figure 2. The opening 16 freely receives that portion of an oar shank 19 having the usual leather sleeve 20 thereon, and after the handle end of the oar is inserted through the opening 16 the usual stop collar 21 is secured to the ear shank so as to co-operate with the relatively wide blade of the oar in preventing removal of the eye from the oar. 7

By the provision of the laterally oifset upper portion 17 of the eye E, the ear is adapted to be tilted in the opening 16 of the eye to be disposed at the relatively steep angle shown in full lines in Figure 2 and to be freely rocked back and forth as in rowing or soul.- ing, by the oarsman while in a standing posture in the boat, all with the use of an eye of minimum height as is very desirable both fromthe standpoints of elficiency in rowing as well as in the appearance of the oariock. The oar can as well be disposed in the normal slightly inclined position shown in broken lines in Fig. 2 for rowing in the usual manner with the oarsman seated in the boat.

Although I have herein shown and described only one form of oarlock embodying my invention, it is to be understood that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention and the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. An oarlock having a closed eye, the opening of which is adapted to freely receive the shank of an oar, the upper portion of the eye being offset laterally for the pur-. pose described.

2. An oarlock having a closed eye. the opening of which is vertically ovate and is adapted to freely receive the shank of an oar, the upper portion of the eye being offset lat. orally for the purpose described.

3. An oarlock having a closed eye adapted to freely receive the shank of an oar and the plane of which is curved vertically upward and outward with respect to the boat to which a the oarlock is applied so as to offset the upper portion of the eye laterally from the lower portion for the purpose described.

4. An oarlock comprising a pin adapted to be rotatably mounted in the gunwale of a boat, and a closed oar receiving eye risin from the pin and having its upper portion 0 set laterally from its lower portion.

5. An oarlock comprising a pin adapted to be rotatably mounted in the gunwale of a boat, and closed vertically ovate oar receiving eye rising from the pin and having its upper portion offset laterally from its lower por tion. i

6. An oarlock having an oar receiving eye the upper portion of which is offset laterally from the plane of its lower portion.

7 An oarlock having a vertically elongated oar receiving eye the upper portion of which is offset laterally from the plane of its lower portion.

8. An oarlock having an oar receiving eye,

the plane of which is curved tooffset the upper portion of the eye from its lower portion.

9. An oarlock having a closed eye adapted to freely receive the shank of an oar, the eye having its upper portion offset laterally from the plane of its lower portion a suflicient amount to render the oar capable of occupying a sculling position in the eye.

10. An oarlock having a closed eye adapted to freely receive the shank of an oar, the eye having its upper portion offset laterally from the plane of its lower portion and the opening of the eye being of such height as to cooperate with the laterally offset upper portion of the eye in rendering the oar capable of being disposed at a relatively steep angle in the eye for sculling.

JOHN E. MATHEWSON. 

